New Year in Lisbon

Day 1

8:00 a.m. at the parking lot near Fiumicino airport. It's the first time I'm going to the airport by car and I can assure you it's a whole different story compared to public transport (I couldn't take it anymore!!). It's not the first time, however, that I arrive well in advance (the plane leaves at 12:20) also because I really like the atmosphere of airports, so much so that I would spend whole days there. The airline is TAP Portuguese! Until now I had always traveled with "Low-cost" carriers and the next person who tells me that flag carriers are better is going to get quite a look from me. Anyway, 12:00 comes, we board the plane and at 12:20, right on time, we take off!! The arrival in Lisbon is also on time at 15:15 local time (Portugal is on Greenwich time, one hour ahead of us). The landing is smooth, the weather is not good, it's drizzling and it's incredibly hot.

Once we grab our suitcases, we go in front of the airport arrivals to wait for the aerobus to the center and the first rip-off arrives. We get on the bus and the driver directly gives us the day pass for 3 euros, while on the internet other cheaper ticket options are listed (we only needed to go from the airport to the hotel!). The first impression the city gives us from the bus is quite positive; the outskirts are similar to Italian ones, but not as chaotic as ours, (especially as far as traffic is concerned) even though all the guidebooks say the opposite. We arrive at our hotel, the "Marques de Sà" on av. Miguel Bombarda, 130 (right behind the Galouste Gulbenkiam museum), not exactly in the center, but still well connected by metro and bus.

The hotel, recommended by our travel agency, is excellent (a three-star that seems like a four-star) with a modern structure and excellent service). Our room is on the top (9th) floor. Too bad the door to the small terrace is closed because from there you would enjoy a great view. Our impressions of the hotel end here also because the time we spend in the room is just enough to sleep. It has gotten dark in the meantime, but we decide, anyway, to dive right into the city center. We choose to take the bus also to make use, at least in part, of the famous ticket mentioned above. The stop is a few hundred meters from the hotel right in front of the "El Corte Ingles" shopping center. After a few stops we get off in front of the Rossio station in Praca Dom Pedro IV in the very heart of Lisbon.

I had studied the city maps so thoroughly that, instead of having a moment of disorientation, I had the impression of having already been there. It was easy to orient ourselves through the streets of the Baixa (Rua Augusta, Rua Aurea) until we reached the majestic Praca do Comercio, the main square of Lisbon, which is surrounded on three sides by 18th-century ministerial buildings while the fourth side overlooks the Tagus river. An incredible illuminated Christmas tree 35 m tall had been set up and they were building the stage for the December 31 party. Before heading back we decide to visit the Chiado, the famous neighborhood destroyed by a fire in 1986 and rebuilt by the Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza.

On a scale of 0 to 10, I like Siza maybe 1 to 1.5, but I must admit that the recovery of the destroyed buildings is absolutely perfect, resulting in a street (Rua do Carmo) that is elegant and modern, but respectful of the city's architectural tradition. Rua Garret too, the street of shopping and fashion stores, looks very beautiful even if chaotic and above all (sigh!) crossed by noisy and smelly cars. In the upper part of the neighborhood, the famous and beautiful "A Brasileira" café appears, packed inside and at the outdoor tables. Tourists line up to take the obligatory photo at the table with the poet Fernando Pessoa: after some resistance, even my wife gives in and we too submit to the ritual snapshots. In this last part, the Chiado appears to us in all its beauty, giving its best and offering itself for what it truly is: the place for Lisbon's evening stroll.

It's 8:00 p.m., with only two sandwiches hastily eaten at the Fiumicino bar in our stomachs, and hunger makes itself felt. We decide to find a restaurant and so we go down again to the Baixa where, according to the tourists "met" on the internet, there are several interesting places at reasonable prices. After some hesitation we choose the heavily advertised "A Covalense" on Rua de Correiros, a fully pedestrian street parallel to Rua Augusta. The place is small (at most 20 seats) and resembles our trattorias, the service is good and the waiters are kind; we have the cheese appetizer (here they bring it to you and we didn't feel like refusing it), an Arroz de marisco (mine!) and roast chicken with a side of potatoes (my wife hates fish!). My dish, which is nothing but a seafood risotto, turns out to be delicious and abundant (enough for 4 people).

In the end we pay 22 euros: unthinkable in Italy even in the worst dive!! Tired and full, we decide to take the bus back to the hotel: the first day comes to a close.

Day 2

7:00 a.m. wake-up and buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant (excellent). Today, as our first day for excursions, we decide to go to Belem also because, since it's Sunday, the museums allow free entry. We take the metro to the center and then, from Praca do Commercio, tram 15 to Belem. Entering the metro, the first time since we arrived, is truly singular; along with us hundreds of black immigrants enter who probably also had to go to the center. We find ourselves inside the metro with a crowd of only black people and this, to us dirty racist and prejudiced whites, creates a certain apprehension. It all ends with one of them kindly even helping us buy the pass (the 7 colinas, the most convenient in Lisbon) at the automatic ticket machine (and we thought they wanted to eat us....!!!). Around 9:00 we arrive in Belem.

The first stop is the famous monastery from where Vasco da Gama set off to discover new worlds. A beautiful discovery for us too: that of the splendid Manueline style that adorns the church and the extraordinary cloister where we linger longer than we should. Fortunately, the idea of coming here rather early helps us. Basically, when we decide to leave, at least 1000-2000 people are entering the complex at the same time (individual tourists or accompanied groups): just one hour later and we would have found ourselves in the middle of a mob. We then hurry to reach the next stop, the "Pedrao dos descobrimentos", a monument dedicated to the Portuguese navigators and their discoveries, featured in all the guidebooks, but which made no impression on us.

We then headed toward the Belem Tower, a defensive fortification placed in the middle of the Tagus estuary and which today, with the city's development, is just a few meters from the shore. Unlike the bland Pedrao, the tower, also in Manueline style, is extraordinary. We visit it and admire it enthusiastically and satisfied despite the long walk it cost us to reach it. The fourth stop of the morning is the "Belem cultural center" designed by Arch. Vittorio Gregotti and built in 1986 on the occasion of Portugal's entry into the European Community. I should preface this by saying that I don't like anything by Gregotti, but on this occasion the architect outdid himself, creating an interesting building worthy of a visit (the pink Portugal stone cladding is spot-on).

The last stop, but not least important, is the carriage museum, both for its contents and above all for the building that houses it. On the way out, heading to the tram stop, we pass by the legendary Belem pastry shop but, also because of the kilometer-long line, we just can't enjoy its delicacies (maybe next time!). The reason, actually, was that we were in a hurry; at the end of December the days are really short and I was eager to reach what for me was the main destination of this trip: the Expo 98 area. To reach it we take the red metro line which, passing through some beautiful stations that would each deserve a specific visit, takes us to the terminus where the extraordinary Oriente Station by Arch. Santiago Calatrava stands. Imposing, elegant, majestic: the adjectives are not wasted for what is surely the most beautiful work of modern architecture in Lisbon.

We pass in front of it, coming out of the metro, to venture into the actual Expo area, promising ourselves to return later. The area is enormous for a single afternoon and so we try to map out a route that will let us see as much as possible in the least time. We pass in front of the former Portuguese pavilion by Siza (awful!), the "Vodafone" building by A. Burmester with its metal panel cladding that seems to rotate on itself, the gigantic "Lisbon Oceanarium" by the American architect P. Chermayeff, the "Luis de Camoes" theater by the architects Salgano and Fei, the "pavilion of the knowledge of the seas" by Carrilho de Graca, the "Atlantic pavilion" by R.

Cruz and SOM that looks like a spaceship that just landed, the stunning "Lisbon fair" by the architects Barreiros Ferreira and Franca Doria (which I discover was built by Italian companies with Italian technology), the "Vasco da Gama" tower by Skidmore, Owings & Merril, the terminus of the cable car that crosses the area, the homonymous center by the English firm Building Design Partnership with the two horned towers "Sao Gabriel", the 5-star "Tivoli" Hotel by L.Soares and T.Pinto.

I must say, however, that our attention and curiosity are drawn to small details we encounter, such as the volcano-shaped fountains that every so many minutes explode water upward to the great joy of the children present (and ours too!), the waterfall next to the aquarium, the "jardins de agua" and above all the cable car that carries you up to the Vasco da Gama tower, letting you admire the whole area from above. Captivated by the beauties of the expo, we don't realize that it is now 4:00 p.m., lunchtime has passed a while ago, and the pangs of hunger are making themselves felt.

We enter the mammoth "Vasco da Gama" shopping center in search of a restaurant (we read outside that there is also an Italian cuisine place), but unfortunately we find it closed and we have to settle for the notorious McDonald's!!! We console ourselves with a huge ice cream from the German chain "Hagen Daz" (just one because my wife always eats a bit of mine!). Once outside, we find ourselves facing a beautiful sunset and take the opportunity to snap a few photos of the Oriente station before it's too late. Around 7:00 p.m. we decide to go back to the hotel to get ready for New Year's Eve. At 10:00 we are in the center; it's swarming with people, the atmosphere is cheerful. It's full of roasted chestnut stalls, some kids are handing out raisins (they say it brings good luck!): I ate mine, regardless, because it was very good.

We arrive at Praca do commercio, half full, but people keep arriving. At 11:00 the concert begins with some crappy Portuguese singers who are probably stars here, at least judging by the girls tearing their hair out and singing the songs by heart; unfortunately, throughout the square there are no more than two beer kiosks with kilometer-long lines and so, despite our thirst, we give up. At midnight the most interesting part of the show begins: exceptional fireworks that last more than 30 minutes. At the end, when we decide to move to reach the metro, we realize that the square has become impossibly full. Moving is almost impossible, reaching the metro at Chiado is at the very least dangerous due to the crush in the surrounding streets. We decide to go the other way, to the "Cais de sodrè" stop, and we manage to get there.

I won't even tell you about the chaos inside the metro to get back to the hotel, and this only because on New Year's Eve the public transport ran only until 1:00 a.m. (mind-blowing!!!). An evening to forget, or almost, especially compared to the super organization of last year's New Year's Eve in Vienna.

Day 3

7:00 a.m. wake-up and the usual breakfast. The weather is strange, there's Po Valley-style fog and everything is wet, but it's incredibly hot. Today we decide to devote ourselves to the center and so we head toward the St. Justa elevator, we go up, and from above you enjoy a formidable panorama toward the Baixa, which is right below us, and toward the other hills of the historic center. We reach Largo do Carmo passing by the ruins of the medieval convent, we admire the presidential palace and then we walk toward the Barrio Alto passing through Rua nova de trinidade. We thus reach the miradouro of Sao pedro de alcantara: from here you enjoy a wonderful view even if today it is partly obscured by fog. We cross the typical alleys of the Barrio Alto (it feels like being in the Spanish Quarters in Naples) and arrive at Piazza Luis De Camoes.

From here we decide to take the legendary tram 28 to visit Lisbon's other typical neighborhood, the Alfama. We get off right in front of the Miradouro of Santa Luzia, but the view toward the city is completely obstructed by the fog which here hasn't lifted enough yet. We then take the road to the Castelo de S. Jorge, crossing truly characteristic little streets and squares: Rua di espirito santo, Rua de santa cruz do castelo, Rua das colinas, Rua das flores de santa cruz are just some of the ones whose names I remember, with their colorful little houses, the laundry hanging out, the elderly playing cards on their doorsteps. We arrive at the castle and visit the surrounding walls, from which you enjoy a beautiful panorama. It's full of tourists (Italians), we take a nice walk among the ruins and enjoy a wonderful sun.

The morning passes peacefully, but at a certain point we decide to walk down toward the Baixa. Along the way we visit Lisbon's medieval cathedral, rather clumsy and ugly, while nearby there is the beautiful church of Sant'Antonio da Padova, which we visit for my wife's happiness. The first day of the year, with Lisbon full of tourists, is practically all closed. Unable to return to the restaurant from the first evening, we opt for a nearby place: the restaurant "A portas" on Rua de Correiros. I must say that in this case too we were very happy: grilled cuttlefish, potatoes and beer for me, roast meat with a side for my wife, 18 euros in total.

Having practically visited the most important things (truth be told, we would have liked to take an excursion to Cascais, Sintra, Cabo da roca, etc., but 4 days are too few to also go around Lisbon's surroundings), we decide to take a very relaxing excursion to see the modern lighthouse designed by the Portuguese architect G. Sousa Byrne at the mouth of the Tagus. We take tram no. 15 again, pass beyond the Belem neighborhood where we had been the day before, and get off at the Alges stop. A long walk to the river mouth still awaits us. During the walk we realize we are the only tourists in this surely little-frequented area of Lisbon, but still very characteristic with a beautiful little beach where, due to the holiday and the almost summer-like climate, many locals were sunbathing.

Unfortunately, once we arrive we realize that the lighthouse is at least another km away and so we can only admire it from afar during the sunset over the ocean (how romantic!!) and then turn on our heels and head back. We then return to the city center. Having little choice, in the evening we return to the same restaurant as lunch (excellent price-quality ratio). Salmon and potatoes for me (and a Super Bock naturally), roast meat and a side for my wife. Again 18 euros in total, At the end of dinner, tired and full, we return to the hotel; the next day we leave again (sigh!)

Day 4

Wake-up at 8:00 a.m. and the usual breakfast. We pack our bags: unfortunately we have to leave. We would not want to part so soon from Lisbon and we would like to visit the other thousand characteristic corners of the city that, due to the little time available, we haven't seen. The plane leaves late, at 14:20, and the airport is close. We decide to delay the goodbye as much as possible by choosing to take one last walk around the hotel and more precisely in the nearby Praca do Duque de Saldanha where there is an office building by Ricardo Bofill: yet another example of the vomit-inducing rationalist architecture of which the Catalan architect is capable and which doesn't even deserve a photo.

Back at the hotel, we grab our suitcases, endure the long walk to the aerobus stop, suffer the 3-euro-a-ticket robbery again for 6-7 km, and arrive, well in advance, at the departures area of the airport. Lisbon's airport is very large and very well organized (besides being nicer than ours) and, despite the thousands of people in line for "check-in", in a short time we hand over our suitcases and head to boarding. To our disapproval we notice that the TAP planes headed to various European capitals are all brand new while the one headed to Rome, which we will have to take, is old and rattletrap...... and indeed during the return trip it shows all its years and its ailments (never again, never again, long live the "low-cost" carriers!!!). We land at Fiumicino airport, we collect our bags.

They come to pick us up with the minibus and take us to the parking lot where our car is waiting: a first-rate service, we couldn't believe our eyes since we were used to dragging our suitcases through the notorious Roman public transport. At 19:00 we set off for home, but we already miss our unforgettable little trip so much... goodbye Lisbon!!!